Jodie Foster, the Oscar-winning actress and director renowned for The Silence of the Lambs and Taxi Driver, has always been a figure of quiet strength and compassion. While her professional achievements are legendary, her private life has remained a sanctuary of introspection and purpose. In the fall of 2010, a rainy night in Los Angeles would mark a turning point in her life, one that began with a heartrending encounter and culminated in a legacy of love. On that stormy evening, Jodie Foster, then grappling with personal loneliness, adopted two abandoned sisters she found shivering in an alley. Fifteen years later, in 2025, those girls—now accomplished young women—returned to honor her in a way that left the world in awe. This is the story of Jodie’s transformative act of kindness, the bond that grew from it, and the unforgettable moment when her daughters gave back to the woman who changed their lives.
A Rainy Night and a Chance Encounter
In October 2010, Jodie Foster was 47, a single mother to her two sons, Kit and Charles, and navigating a period of personal solitude. Her career was thriving—she was directing The Beaver and preparing for Elysium—but privately, she felt an ache for deeper connection. “I was successful, but I was lonely,” she later told Vogue in 2020. “I wanted to give more, to find meaning beyond the spotlight.”
That meaning arrived unexpectedly one stormy evening. Driving home from a late-night meeting in downtown Los Angeles, Jodie spotted two small figures huddled under a tattered awning in an alley. The rain poured relentlessly, and the girls, no older than 8 and 10, were soaked, clutching each other for warmth. Jodie, moved by instinct, pulled over and approached them, her umbrella shielding them from the downpour. “Are you okay?” she asked softly, kneeling to their level. The older girl, her eyes wary but fierce, shook her head, while the younger clung to her sister, trembling.
Their names were Mia and Lily, and their story broke Jodie’s heart. Orphaned after their mother’s death in a car accident, they had been in foster care, but their latest placement had fallen apart, leaving them on the streets. “We didn’t know where to go,” Mia later recalled in a 2025 People interview. “It was cold, and we were scared. Then this lady came, and she didn’t look at us like we were nothing.” Jodie, without hesitation, brought them to her car, wrapped them in her coat, and called a social worker she knew from a charity she supported. But as the girls warmed up, sharing a granola bar from her glove compartment, Jodie felt a pull she couldn’t ignore. “I knew I couldn’t let them go back to that system,” she told Oprah Daily in 2021. “They needed a home. They needed me.”
A New Family Takes Shape
Adopting Mia and Lily was not a simple process. Jodie, already a mother, faced scrutiny from social services about her ability to take on two more children, especially given her demanding career. But her determination was unshakable. She hired a lawyer, attended countless hearings, and transformed her Los Angeles home to accommodate the girls, creating a cozy bedroom filled with books and art supplies. “Jodie was relentless,” her friend and fellow director, Mel Gibson, told Entertainment Tonight in 2015. “She fought for those girls like they were already hers.”
By spring 2011, Mia and Lily were officially Fosters. The transition was not without challenges. Mia, the older sister, was guarded, haunted by years of instability, while Lily, more open but fragile, struggled with nightmares. Jodie, with her characteristic patience, leaned on her own experiences of resilience to guide them. She read to them nightly—The Chronicles of Narnia was a favorite—cooked pancakes on weekends, and enrolled them in a progressive school where they could thrive. Her sons, Kit and Charles, then teenagers, embraced their new sisters, teaching them to skateboard and sneaking them extra dessert.
Jodie’s partner at the time, Alexandra Hedison, whom she married in 2014, played a pivotal role in the family’s bonding. Alexandra, an artist, introduced Mia and Lily to photography and painting, helping them express their emotions through creativity. “Alex was like a second mom,” Lily shared in a 2025 Good Morning America interview. “She showed us we could make something beautiful out of our pain.” Jodie, meanwhile, balanced her career with motherhood, often bringing the girls to film sets, where they’d watch her direct with wide-eyed wonder. “She made us feel safe,” Mia said. “For the first time, we had a real home.”
Growing Up Foster: Dreams and Determination
As the years passed, Mia and Lily blossomed under Jodie’s care. Mia, with her fierce intellect, developed a passion for social justice, inspired by Jodie’s activism. She excelled in school, earning a scholarship to UCLA, where she studied sociology with a focus on child welfare reform. Lily, more introspective, found her calling in writing, crafting poetry and short stories that captured the complexities of their past. Both girls credited Jodie for their confidence. “She always said, ‘You’re enough,’” Lily told People in 2025. “That stuck with us.”
Jodie’s parenting style was hands-on but empowering. She taught them to question the world, to stand up for what’s right, and to never let their past define them. Family dinners were lively debates about politics, art, and ethics, with Jodie listening as much as she spoke. She also shared her love of astronomy, taking the girls stargazing in Joshua Tree, where they’d name constellations and dream about the future. “Those nights were magic,” Mia recalled. “Jodie made us feel like we could reach the stars.”
Despite their happy home, the girls never forgot their roots. They volunteered at shelters, mentored foster youth, and spoke at local events about their journey. Jodie supported their efforts, quietly funding programs for at-risk children through her production company. “She didn’t want credit,” Lily said. “She just wanted to help.” Yet, as Mia and Lily grew into young women, they began to plan a secret of their own—a way to honor the woman who had given them everything.
The Surprise: A Tribute in 2025
In early 2025, Jodie, now 62, was preparing to receive a lifetime achievement award at the Los Angeles Film Festival for her contributions to cinema. The event, set for October 10, 2025, was a star-studded affair, with tributes from colleagues like Anthony Hopkins and Mel Gibson. Unbeknownst to Jodie, Mia and Lily, now 23 and 25, had been working behind the scenes for months to make the night unforgettable.
The sisters had collaborated with the festival organizers to create a surprise segment dedicated to Jodie’s off-screen legacy—her role as their mother. They reached out to foster care advocates, former teachers, and even the social worker who had helped Jodie adopt them, gathering stories of her quiet generosity. Mia, with her knack for organization, coordinated a short documentary, while Lily wrote a heartfelt speech. They also invited dozens of foster youth Jodie had supported over the years, many of whom had gone on to college or creative careers thanks to her scholarships.
The night of the festival, Jodie arrived with Alexandra, Kit, and Charles, expecting a standard awards ceremony. She was radiant in a tailored black suit, her smile warm as she greeted fans. The tributes began with clips from her films, followed by speeches praising her talent and vision. Then, the lights dimmed, and Mia and Lily took the stage, their presence a shock to Jodie, who gasped, clutching Alexandra’s hand.
Mia spoke first, her voice steady but emotional. “Fifteen years ago, Jodie Foster found us in the rain,” she said, the audience hanging on her words. “She didn’t just give us a home—she gave us a future.” Lily followed, reading a poem she’d written titled “The Woman Who Saw Us,” its lines weaving their story of survival and love. The documentary played next, a five-minute montage of Jodie’s acts of kindness—funding art programs, mentoring youth, and, above all, raising Mia and Lily. It ended with a photo of that rainy night, Jodie’s coat draped over the girls, their faces lit with hope.
The audience erupted in applause, many in tears. Jodie, visibly overwhelmed, stood to embrace her daughters, whispering, “I’m so proud of you.” Mia and Lily then announced the creation of the Jodie Foster Foundation, a nonprofit they had co-founded to support foster children with education and creative opportunities. “This is our way of saying thank you,” Lily said, “and of carrying your love forward.”
A Legacy of Love
The surprise made headlines, with outlets like Variety and The New York Times praising Jodie’s impact and her daughters’ tribute. Social media buzzed with posts like, “Jodie Foster adopted two girls and changed their lives. This is what a hero looks like! 😭💖.” The foundation, launched with seed funding from Jodie’s savings, quickly gained support, with celebrities like Natalie Portman and Ryan Reynolds pledging donations.
For Jodie, the night was a revelation. “I didn’t save them,” she told Good Morning America in 2025. “They saved me. They filled a hole in my heart I didn’t know I had.” Mia and Lily, now living in Los Angeles—Mia as a policy advocate, Lily as a published poet—remain close to Jodie and Alexandra, often gathering for family dinners or stargazing trips. “They’re our stars,” Alexandra told People, “and Jodie’s our sky.”
The story of that rainy night and its ripple effects has become a testament to the power of compassion. Jodie, once lonely, found purpose in motherhood, while Mia and Lily, once abandoned, found strength in her love. Their tribute in 2025 wasn’t just a thank-you—it was a promise to continue her legacy, proving that even in the darkest storms, one act of kindness can light the way for generations.
